RAHRASI is the name given to the main evening prayer of the Sikhs. The word itself implies supplication, though some traditionalist scholars have interpreted it as rahirdst which, in Persian, means the straight path, the path of faith and devotion as against that. of mere ritual practices or yogic

RAVIDAS, poet and mystic, was born to Raghu and Ghurbinia, who lived near the city of Varanasi. Not much biographical information about him is available, but, from what can be made out of his own compositions, he belonged to a lowcaste (Chamdr) family. He followed the family profession of

SAIN, BHAl, or Bhai Saian, a Sethi Khatri, was a devout Sikh of the time of Guru Arjan. He was a talented musician who sang the Guru`s barn with love and devotion. Thus he spread Guru Nanak`s word far and wide. His name finds mention among the Guru`s devotees

SASTRA NAM MALA PURAN is a versified composition, included in the Dasam Granth. It is acknowledged to be the work of Guru Gobind Singh. The poem lists weapons of war, which are praised as protectors and deliverers. It runs to 1318 verses and covers 98 pages in the Dasam

SUJANA, BHAI, a warrior, was the devoted Sikh of Guru Hargobind. He fought with great valour in the battle of Amritsar against Mukhlis Khan in AD 1629.

TASIMBU, a village in Patiala districts, 13 km northeast of Ambala city (30°23`N, 76°47`E), claims a historical shrine, Gurdwara Patshahi IX, dedicated to Guru Tegh Bahadur, who visited it during one of his travels through this territory. Only a platform in a small room with a Sikh flag, existed

VAK, from Sanskrit vaka (sounding, speaking ; a text, recitation or formula) or vakya (speech, saying, statement, declaration, a sentence or period), has a special connotation in the Sikh system. In Sikh terminology, Vak means the command or lesson read from the Guru Granth Sahib. Vak laina or hukam laina

AKAL USTATI (In Praise of the Timeless Being) is a poetical composition by Guru Gobind Singh in the Dasam Granth. This is the only major composition in the Tenth Master\'s Book which is without a title. The title by which it is known is made up of its first

ABHICH,According to Indian astrology \'Abhich\' is the name of a certain conjunction of planets which is regarded as auspicious by the Hindus. On this day, Hindus take a bath in one of the holy rivers. On this festive day. which fell on January 14. 1553 Guru Amardas visited Kurukshetra

BANNO, BHAI (1558-1645), a prominent Sikh contemporary of Guru Arjan and Guru Hargobind, was the son of Bhai Bishan Dev of village Mangat, also called KharaMangat, Khara being its older name, in Phalia tahsil of Gujrat district (now in Pakistan). He was born on Saturday, Baisakh sudi 13,1615 Bk/

BHATT BANI, recorded under the title Savaiyye, is the name popularly given to the compositions of the Bhatts as included in the Guru Granth Sahib (pp. 13891409). Bhatts were bards or panegyrists who recited poetry lauding the grandeur of a ruler or the gallantry of a warrior. Bhatt was

CHATUR DAS KAPUR, BHAI, whose name appears in Bhai Gurdas`s roster of devotees of Guru Arjan`s time. Varan, XI. 20. Chatur Das received initiation at the hands of the Guru who taught him to be humble and, in humility, seek the company of holy men. See GARU, BHAi